


sweet sugar feelings

by futurefishes



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Birthday, Confessions, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Pining, hello i love coffee shop aus, jeonghoon, so here have another one, we all need more jeonghoon in our lives, written for jihoon's birthday!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 07:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16697893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/futurefishes/pseuds/futurefishes
Summary: "It may not be morally correct, but Yoon Jeonghan had a few customers he would describe as his favorites.He liked Jihoon. In fact, if he had to chose, Jihoon was his favorite, the one on top of the list, the one who made his heart beat louder in his chest. He was quite new as a regular, so Jeonghan still had to get to know him properly, but still - Jeonghan felt drawn to him. Drawn to him in the exact same way he knew Seungcheol was drawn to Joshua, and Mingyu was drawn to Seungkwan. Jihoon didn't say much when he came to the coffee shop; he would usually order his blend, before waiting quietly for his drink to be done. Jeonghan wanted to speak with him so badly, but his mouth got dry whenever he was around. He really, really liked Jihoon."





	sweet sugar feelings

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written for lee jihoon's birthday. and to our lovely vobo:
> 
> thank you for everything you do in seventeen!! and for everything you do for the members! thank you for always working so hard and for making your amazing songs. thank you for being someone that the rest of the members can lean on. thank you for being someone i can look up to. thank you for all the times you made me smile. thank you for being you.
> 
> happy birthday, lee jihoon!! love you!
> 
> and now, onto the fic! i hope you all enjoy!

It may not be morally correct, but Yoon Jeonghan had a few customers he would describe as his favorites.

He liked Vernon, the young guy that always came in to order his favorite coffee blend, rap music blasting out of his earphones. They didn't talk that much every time he came on by - sometimes, especially in the mornings, they would do their thing in silence, Vernon waiting while Jeonghan blends his drink - but when they do speak, Vernon is an incredible intelligent guy. Sometimes, Jeonghan finds himself feeling proud of the guy in front of him, when he talks about his pacifist beliefs. He really liked Vernon.

He liked Jun. The charming man who had moved here from China only 4 years ago. He was popular, and Jeonghan understood why - Jun was  _ beautiful _ , in every definition of the word. He made girls, boys and non-binary turn around to look at him twice when he passed them by. Whenever he came by the cafe, he would usually order ice tea and a pastry; he was especially fond of the fruity ones. Sometimes, Jeonghan would give him one on the house, only to see the wide grin that would form on Juns face. He really liked Jun.

He liked Mingyu. He was a free-lancing photographer, and also incredibly handsome. His photos were incredible, and Jeonghan knew he had been featured in very popular magazines, along with big names in the industry. He knew that Mingyu would rise to the top. But what not many people got to know from the interviews Mingyu was apart of was that he was  _ adorable _ in person; not only was he clumsy, but he also spoke incredibly fast whenever he got nervous. Like when Mingyu’s eyes would land on Jeonghan’s co-worker Seungkwan. He would stumble on his words, and sometimes, Jeonghan had to hide his grin behind his hand, as to not make his reaction all too obvious. He really liked Mingyu.

He also liked Jihoon. In fact, if he had to chose, Jihoon was his favorite, the one on top of the list, the one who made his heart beat louder in his chest. He was quite new as a regular, so Jeonghan still had to get to know him properly, but still - Jeonghan felt  _ drawn _ to him. Drawn to him in the exact same way he knew Seungcheol was drawn to Joshua, and Mingyu was drawn to Seungkwan. Jihoon didn't say much when he came to the coffee shop; he would usually order his blend, before waiting quietly for his drink to be done. Jeonghan wanted to speak with him so badly, but his mouth got dry whenever he was around. He really,  _ really  _ liked Jihoon.

And maybe it wasn't morally correct, but Jeonghan can't really find himself caring as he sees Jihoon's black hair through the window of the cafe. His heart beats loud in his ears as he walks into the cafe.

Jeonghan's the one with cashier duty today, Seungcheol and Joshua are in the back, baking and refilling their stock. Which means that Jeonghan will be the one to take his order, which means that he definitely should talk to him today, which means  _ focus, Jeonghan, focus!! _

Jihoon stops to stand in the line; there are two people in front of him, an older lady and a young girl that Jeonghan is  _ quite sure  _ is trying to flirt with him. She seems to notice his lack of response though, her eyes following his gaze to Jihoon. Her eyes widen as she seems to understand what’s going on, and she doesn’t say anything else as Jeonghan hands her the drink and thanks her for the visit.

Jeonghan is  _ really _ thankful for her silence.

The elderly lady’s order is nothing special - ice tea and a cinnamon bun - so she gets her order in just a few minutes. Jeonghan tries to smile at her as she tells him goodbye, but he can feel that it’s strained. His heart is beating in his chest, as he know that Jihoon is the next customer in line.

And just like that, their eyes meet, brown staring into brown. 

It feels like his heart is going to explode in his chest from how hard it’s beating.

“Hi,” Jeonghan greets, trying not to stumble over his words.  _ Be cool, be cool. _ “Do you want the usual?”

JIhoon blinks and his eyes widen slightly, probably surprised that Jeonghan remembers his order, before he nods. “Yes, please.”

His voice is soft and quiet, and Jeonghan can feel the words repeat over and over in his mind like a mantra.  _ Yes please Yes please Yes please.  _ His voice is addicting. Jeonghan can’t help but wish that he would get to hear him say other things with that voice too.

As Jeonghan moves over to put the coffee beans in the maker, he notices Jihoon stealing glances at him. It’s adorable, the way that Jihoon looks at him through his eyelashes, and Jeonghan can feel his cheeks burn.

“How are you?” Jeonghan finds himself asking to Jihoon before he can think it through, and immediately, he wants to slap himself.  _ Don’t act like you know him.  _

“Tired,” Jihoon replies in the same soft voice, his lips growing into a small smile. It’s the first time Jeonghan has seen him smile, and he swears it’s one of the most beautiful sights he’s ever seen. “But I’ll manage. And you?”

“I’m good,” Jeonghan says, cursing at himself for choosing such a boring answer. Now that they’re actually talking with each other, even if it’s small talk, he doesn’t want to fuck it up. “It’s getting colder outside. That makes me happy.”

Jihoon chuckles. Jeonghan feels himself melt. “You like the cold?”

“Well, yeah, I guess,” Jeonghan says, and as the coffee starts to pour into the cup from the machine. “I suppose I prefer the summer though, but winter is not bad either.”

“Hm,” Jihoon mumbles. The soft smile is still on his lips, and Jeonghan finds him wishing that it would always be there.

“What about you?” Jeonghan asks, as he takes the mug away from under the machine. He reaches for a lid, his eyes not leaving Jihoon’s form. 

“I like winter. Mostly because of the snow.” Jihoon admits, looking sheepish. “And because my birthday is coming up. I guess I’m still a kid at heart.”

Jihoon chuckles, and Jeonghan finds himself smiling brightly at him, but his mind is occupied. Jihoon’s birthday? “When is it?”

“When is what?”

“Your birthday.”

Jihoon’s eyes widen slightly again. “November 22nd. Why?”

That’s  _ really  _ soon. It’s less than a week from now. 

“Just curious,” Jeonghan replies, and he puts the drink down on the counter. He presses a few buttons on the cashier. “That’ll be 4,500 won, please.”

Jihoon hands him the bills, and their fingers touch as Jeonghan reaches over to take it. He feels a shudder run down his spine, but he hopes that Jihoon doesn’t notice it. He doesn’t want to make a fool of himself... more than usual, anyway.

“Thank you for your purchase!” Jeonghan says happily, out of habit. He grins at Jihoon, but he feels himself freeze as he notices the way Jihoon looks at him; it’s a gaze that Jeonghan could only describe as one of hesitation, one that Jeonghan doesn’t quite know where to place. He can feel his own pulse raise as he and Jihoon stare into each others eyes for what feel like years, but is only mere seconds.

How he wishes he could just reach out and pull Jihoon closer to him. He wonders if Jihoon fits into him just like Jeonghan imagines he does. Is he just as soft? Is he just as warm? He wants to wrap his arms around him and hold him close, without feeling the need to let him go.

But they’re not like that. Jihoon soon breaks the gaze, and looks down to the floor. Jeonghan feels his cheeks heat up again, and he’s just about to go hide in a corner to get away from the embarrassment of it all, when Jihoon speaks again.

“See you later, Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan stares at Jihoon as he quickly makes his way out of the store. He’s looking down, but if Jeonghan’s not mistaken, he notices a few spots of pink on his cheeks. 

Another customer; a man, wearing a suit and carrying a leather bag steps up to the counter. But Jeonghan doesn’t notice him.

Because Jihoon  _ knew  _ his name.

And the most exciting thing out of them all?

He’s not wearing his nameplate.

-x-

 

It’s important to learn how to leave your work mentally, once the work is over. Usually, Jeonghan is quite good at that.

But ever since he first saw Jihoon, he can’t help but think about him outside of his job. Especially now, that he know that his favorite customer's birthday is just around the corner.

His mind keeps spinning while he’s in the shower, while he’s cooking and just as he decides to go to bed. He wants to do something for Jihoon on his special day. He just can’t figure out  _ what. _

Jeonghan guess it’s logical that he doesn’t really know what to do; he and Jihoon barely know each other after all. It’s not like Jeonghan can name Jihoon’s hobbies or favorite colors or anything. He knows his favorite blend and his birthday, and that’s about it.

“I would try to think of a gift that’s within my reach,” Joshua answers when Jeonghan asks him, having giving up on trying to sleep for the moment. He can hear Joshua yawn on the other side of the line, and he does feel  _ slightly _ bad for waking him up by calling. “It’s the thought that counts, after all.”

Yeah, Joshua has a point. But Jeonghan also wants to make an impression on Jihoon. He doesn’t want this to become just another “oh we heard it’s your birthday, so here’s something from our café to our precious customer”. No. Definitely not that. He wants it to be something from  _ Yoon Jeonghan  _ to  _ Jihoon _ , the cute guy that always orders the same blend and whose cheeks sometimes get pink when Jeonghan catches him staring.

He sighs, but thanks Joshua for the recommendation. He can hear Joshua's soft laugh on the other line, and he knows that Joshua knows that Jeonghan is still as clueless as before, but he doesn't seem to mind it at all. 

"Show him how you feel, Jeonghan," Joshua's soft voice suddenly says, and Jeonghan feels his heart beat in his chest because  _he can not do that, his heart would explode_ , but before he can tell Joshua just that, he continues. "Goodnight, Jeonghan. See you at the café tomorrow."

There's a click as Joshua hangs up and Jeonghan just grins at the thought of Joshua just hanging up on him like that, and throws the phone down onto the bed. It bounces a on the mattress a few times, and Jeonghan just watches it until it's still on the soft material.

He sighs and closes his eyes.

_ Show him how I feel, huh? _

\- x -

Vernon comes by the next day. Jeonghan can hear the music blast from his headphones the moment he walks in. From the beat, he guesses that the younger man listens to something like rap. He picks up some words he doesn’t understand, so he presumes it’s English.

English. Yes, that’s right. Vernon is really intelligent. Maybe he can ask Vernon for some advice? 

“Hey,” Vernon greets as he comes up to the cashier, and Jeonghan sighs in relief; it seems like Vernon is up for some small talk today. “The usual. And one of those pastries you recommended to me last time too, please.”

“Of course, it’ll be right up!” Jeonghan answers happily, going to fetch a cup and the ingredients he needs to make his blend. After the warm liquid has been made and poured into the tall cup, Jeonghan puts a lid on it, and returns to his well-known customer to hand over the drink. “Do you mind if I ask you a question, Vernon?”

Vernon blinks. His brows arch together. Is this a bad idea? “Of course, shoot.”

Well, it’s too late to take it back now.

“What would you give to someone that you admire for their birthday?” Jeonghan asks, and he’s surprised that the words fall out relatively smoothly. He feels nervous and stupid, asking this. He can already feel his cheeks heating up. “Like, if you don’t know them well enough to give them something personal.”

“Oh,” Vernon voices, as Jeonghan grabs one of the brown bags they usually put the pastries in when the customer’s take them on the go. The customer’s eyes follow Jeonghan as he moves to the glass cabinets, to take out the small strawberry cake. “That’s a tricky question.”

“I know,” Jeonghan chuckles. “It’s been keeping me up all night.”

“I think I would try to ask them out for lunch or something,” Vernon replies as Jeonghan comes back to the counter again. He lays down the paper bag with the pastry in it to start tapping the screen of the cashier, hitting in all the items Vernon is buying. “It’s a nice gesture, showing them that you want to spend time with them, I guess. Also, no one really says no to free food.”

Jeonghan laughs and grins, but inside he’s feeling disappointed; not because Vernon’s answer wasn’t  _ good _ , but because he’s working on the 22nd.  Of _fucking_ course he is. The world is definitely against him.  _Goddamn it_.

“That’ll be 7,200 won,” Jeonghan voices, clicking a button to make the total visible to Vernon as well. The music-loving man pulls out the bills of his wallet. “And thanks for the suggestion. I’ll think about it.”

“Sounds good,” Vernon answers as he hands over the bills to Jeonghan, before he grabs his warm drink and the paper bag. “See you later, Jeonghan.”

“Bye, Vernon!” Jeonghan greets cheerily as he waves goodbye to his friend. He watches as Vernon waves goodbye outside of the window, before he puts on his headphones again and focuses on the pavement in front of him.

Well, that went… well, Jeonghan supposes. It’s a great idea, honestly. Jeonghan would’ve treated Jihoon to a lunch, if he had the day off.

He can imagine it; Jeonghan asking Jihoon out, his voice smooth and flirtatious. Jihoon’s cheeks would be warmer than usual, his cheeks a beuatiful pink against his tan skin. Jihoon would accept, and Jeonghan would choose one of the fancier restaurants downtown. They would get to know each other over a candle-lit dinner, and who knows? By the end Jeonghan might’ve confessed and he might not walk home alone.

But then again, all of it was just mere wishful thinking. He knows his workdays by heart, and he knows that he has the shift that day, from opening to closing. But at least he can dream, hey?

...Maybe not at work though. The woman in front of the cashier looks at him worriedly. Did he space out? Oh, she’s tried to order twice now? _Shit._

Jeonghan feels the blush spread on his cheeks as he apologizes over and over. Jihoon is really making him a fool, isn’t he?

-x-

Towards closing hours the next day, Mingyu walks into the store. This wouldn’t be anything unique usually - Mingyu is here more days than he is not, even if the reason is to catch sight of Seungkwan working - but today is different.

Today, Mingyu is holding onto a bouquet of roses. 

Jeonghan can’t help but stare from one of the tables out on the floor, that he’s currently scrubbing. But then again, it’s not like anyone in the store can stop staring, especially not when Mingyu stops in front of the cashier, that’s currently occupied by the hot blonde that Mingyu basically gets all heart-eyed for.

“Can I get you anything, M-Mingyu?” Seungkwan asks when Mingyu comes to a stop in front of the cashier. Jeonghan must admit he’s impressed - that’s  _ quite  _ a stunning shade of red that’s blooming on Seungkwan’s face, reaching all the way down to his neck. 

“Yes. An answer,” Mingyu says, with the flattest and most serious voice Jeonghan has ever heard him use. If Jeonghan was drinking something, this is where he probably would’ve had done a spit-take.  _ It sounds like Mingyu’s low-key threatening the poor guy _ .

“A-An answer to what?” Seungkwan stutters, _and wow_ , even his ears are bright red now. Jeonghan notices how Wonwoo, whose on the baking duty today, also has popped his head out from the backdoor to follow the scene playing out in the middle of the café. He looks amused. Jeonghan can’t blame him.

“If you will go out with me,” Mingyu drops, just like that, and he doesn’t seem to realize he did so until Seungkwan’s jaw falls open. Mingyu’s tan skin turns as red as the roses in his bouquet, and he can almost compete with Seungkwan for the most impressive blush Jeonghan has ever seen ( _ prize: the honor and a nice catchy title of "the reddest face in town!").  _ “Uh- I, I mean, do you- uh. Would you mind if… If I took you out to dinner s-sometime, maybe? If you’d like? Y-you can say no, of course! No problem! No biggie! Hahaha! It’s fine! But if you’d want to I’d be happy! But no pressure, oh shit, uh-”

“I’d love to, Mingyu,” Seungkwan  _ finally  _ replies, saving Mingyu from embarrassing himself further. The smile that’s playing on Seungkwan’s lips is wide, and Jeonghan can’t help but feel warm in his chest from watching his co-worker this happy.

“Really?” Mingyu asks with a voice that’s full of surprise, disbelief and  _ absolute delight _ . It’s a beautiful sound, and Jeonghan sees how Seungkwan almost melts on the spot.

Jeonghan imagines Jihoon’s voice wavering with happiness, if he ever got a chance to ask the smaller male out.

“Roses are such a nice gift,” an elderly woman next to the table that Jeonghan is (supposed) to be cleaning says, her smile warm as she watches Mingyu throw his arms around Seungkwan. “What a lovely couple.”

Roses, a nice gift? Jeonghan hums in agreement, as he goes back to the dirty table, moving the wet cloth in his hands in circles.

That could be a good idea.

-x-

Jihoon is the one who shows up the next day, much to Jeonghan’s delight. Joshua is the one standing at the cashier, but the moment he spots Jihoon’s black hair through the window, he peeks his head into the back room, the air smelling of the cupcakes Jeonghan put into the oven a few minutes ago.

“Hey, Hannie,” Joshua voices, a teasing smile on his lips. “Your boyfriend is here.”

Despite the teasing and the obvious exaggeration of their relationship, Jeonghan can’t help but feel the butterflies start to move in his stomach again. “I wish.”

Joshua just laughs at him as Jeonghan walks past him into the main area of the small café, extremely aware of the blush that’s high on his cheeks.

The moment he gets to the cashier, Jihoon walks into the warm building, in all his glory. It’s snowing outside, and some of the snowflakes are melting on Jihoon’s black winter coat as he comes to a stop in front of Jeonghan. There’s a small smile on his lips, a smile that makes Jeonghan’s heart do loops in his chest.

“Hi,” Jihoon greets, his voice soft like honey. 

“Hello,” Jeonghan greets back, feeling how his lips tug upwards into a giant grin he can’t stop. “The usual?”

“Yes, please,” Jihoon replies, and Jeonghan feels the gaze from the other man on him as he moves to make his blend.

It’s not a heavy gaze, but it makes Jeonghan slightly self-conscious. He soon comes back with the warm drink in hand, putting on the plastic lid before placing it in front of Jihoon. But the customer doesn't reach out to take it.

Instead, Jihoon’s fingers trail against the soft skin of Jeonghan’s cheek, and he feels himself freezing. 

Jihoon smirks at him, holding his finger up in front of him, showing off the chocolate batter that had been placed on Jeonghan’s cheek - it must be from the cupcakes - and before Jeonghan can apologize for his messy appearance, Jihoon pops the finger into his mouth.

_ Fuck. _ Jeonghan’s mouth goes dry. How could he not? The smirk on Jihoon’s lips along with the way that he sucks on his finger makes him feel lightheaded. It’s over too quickly though, and Jeonghan watches as the smirks melts into a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” Jihoon almost whispers, his cheeks slowly turning pink. Jihoon fits the color very well. Pink has never been so beautiful before. “You were cute.”

“Uh-” Jeonghan finds himself mumbling, intelligently. Great. Good. Now he's tongue-tied as well. Amazing.

“Thanks for the drink,” Jihoon quickly says, apparently very aware of what he just did. The pink is turning into a darker shade of red, as the customer grabs the drink and hurriedly makes his way over to the exit.

“W-wait!” Jeonghan manages, and thankfully, Jihoon stops before he can reach the door. He turns around to look at Jeonghan with such a shy look that Jeonghan just wants to move towards him and pull him into a tight embrace, holding him as long as he can. “Are you free on your birthday?”

“Uh, yeah, I am.” Jihoon replies, his brows furrowed in confusion. He still manages to look good though, it’s almost a bit incredible. “Well, except for the evening. My friends and I are going out for drinks. Why?”

“Please come by here on that day!” Jeonghan exclaims, trying his hardest to ignore the way his face and neck burns as Jihoon keep looking at him with wide eyes. “Please.”

Jeonghan doesn’t mean to beg, but he can’t help it; although he hasn’t figured out what he wants to do for Jihoon on his birthday, he knows he wants to do  _ something _ . His working hours doesn’t allow him any free-time during the hours of the day, so the only way to celebrate Jihoon would be to do it in the café, during working hours.

“Oh,” Jihoon mumbles, still with wide eyes. His nervous smile is soon replaced by a warm one, and Jeonghan’s stomach churls in anticipation. “Sure, of course, I’ll come by.”

“Great! That’s- that’s good, really,” Jeonghan stumbles, feeling embarrassed, but it’s all worth it for the sweet melody that’s Jihoon’s laugh.

“Yeah,” Jihoon mumbles, and he turns towards the door. He opens it slightly, the cool November air blasting into the building. “See you then.”

Jeonghan waves goodbye to Jihoon as he rounds the corner, and when he knows his favorite customer is out of sight, his legs give out. They’ve been shaking ever since Jihoon walked into the building - if it was because of anxiety or giddiness, he doesn’t know. Jeonghan sits behind the counter, out of sight for the small amount of customers currently present in the café. He brings a hand over his mouth to try and stifle the happy chuckle that’s spilling from his lips, but to no avail.

He’s happy. Jihoon will make it here on his birthday.  _ He will actually be able to greet him on his birthday! _

Now he just needs to figure out what to do for him. 

-x-

Despite having his back turned towards the entrance, Jeonghan knows Jun is the one entering the store on the afternoon of the 21st.

The whispers from the other customers is a dead giveaway. Despite all the customers that visit the café, there’s only one young man who has the ability to make all the remaining visitors speechless and heart-eyed.

“Hello,” Jun greets when Jeonghan turns around. He has the brightest smile Jeonghan has ever seen on his lips, and Jeonghan finds himself taking a deep breath.

Even though he’s Jun’s friend, he’s also blinded by that  _ damn smile _ .

“Welcome back, Jun,” Jeonghan greets, putting down the glass (that a few minutes ago had held a chocolate-strawberry milkshake) he was washing, in the sink, before he leans his elbows on the counter in front of Jun. “The usual?”

“You know it, Hannie!” Jun replies happily, speaking in a melody. It makes Jeonghan smile wide, as he moves behind the counter, grabbing a bottle of ice tea from the refrigerator _(a peachy flavor, one he knows Jun enjoys)_ before moving to the glass cabinet in which the pastries a stored. He reaches for the tart that Jun is known for buying - lemon and raspberry cream on a vanilla fudge brownie - and puts it in a brown paper bag. 

When he comes back to stand in front of Jun, the young man isn’t smiling anymore. Instead he looks almost… worried? 

“Is something wrong, Jeonghannie?” Jun asks, with his sweet voice, his words slightly oozing with an accent. Most of the time, Jeonghan forgets his native language isn’t korean, but he must admit that the accent fits him. It’s cute.

“No… why?” Jeonghan asks back, his fingers moving to click on the screen of the cashier, the total amount of won being showed on a screen. Jun’s eyes doesn’t flicker away from Jeonghan’s face.

“You just seem preoccupied,” Jun states, tilting his head slightly to the side. “Is something bothering you?”

A chuckle escapes Jeonghan’s throat. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Maybe,” Jun claims, winking. “Or maybe I’m just really good at reading you, Jeonghan.”

“Maybe,” Jeonghan laughs. “My friend’s birthday is tomorrow, and I have no idea what to give him. It’s just… bothering me, I guess. I asked him to come over to the café tomorrow, but time’s running out and I still have no gift.”

He called him friend. Were they even friends? Acquaintances would probably be a better word. Or a crush. But he doesn’t want to make it too obvious or say too much. 

Jeonghan can’t help but think that he wishes he could call Jihoon more than a friend.

Jun seems to understand anyway, his gaze going softer as he looks upon him. 

“Don’t stress, Hannie. I’m sure just greeting him will be enough,” Jun reassures, his smile turning into a grin. He picks up his wallet as he speaks, reaching for the bills hiding inside the leather pockets. “I think just asking him to come over means a lot. A gift doesn’t have to be grandiose for it to have a big positive impact on someone, Hannie. Just show him that you care for him, and things should work out.”

Jun winks at him,  _ again _ , and hands over the bills to pay for his ice tea and pastry. Jeonghan doesn’t reach for them though, his jaw left open as he feels the weight that had been upon him for the past few days disappear.

“I guess that makes sense,” Jeonghan mumbles, a smile growing on his lips as he reaches over to take the money. He puts the money in the cashier and hands over the receipt, feeling calm for the time in a couple of days. 

Jun starts to walk towards the exit, holding onto his bought goods, but he turns around to face Jeonghan again before he pushes the door open.

“Next time, tell me all about it, okay?” Jun asks sweetly, and Jeonghan mirrors the smile.

“Of course, Junnie.” 

Jun grins, waves and walks out into the cool November air. The whispers in the café starts up again, and Jeonghan can hear how the crowd talks about Jun’s beautiful appearance and soft voice.

He can decipher a voice, probably that from a young woman, in the middle of the crowd. “I want to have him as my friend.”

Jeonghan can’t help but chuckle and agree. Anyone would be happy to be friends with Jun.

-x- 

“Welcome, Jihoon,” Jeonghan greets, hoping his voice is stable enough to hide how nervous he feels. “Happy Birthday!”

Jihoon grins at him, and Jeonghan swears he has never seen anything more beautiful.

Jihoon is practically glowing today; if it is because it’s his birthday or something entirely else, he doesn’t know, but it is a good look. 

“Thank you,” Jihoon replies, standing in front of the counter quite awkwardly. He seems to be just as nervous as Jeonghan feels. At least he’s not alone in this.

“Have you had a good day?” Jeonghan asks. He moves behind the counter, going to get the blue paper bag that he had prepared for today. His hands are shaking as he grabs it. Jeonghan prays it isn’t visible.

“Yes, it’s been good,” Jihoon responds. His smile is soft and warm, probably as he thinks about his day so far, but it’s soon replaced by wide eyes as Jeonghan puts the blue paper bag down onto the counter.

It’s decorated with gold stars and gold glitter, something that Jeonghan had added to it after he bought it. It had been fun, decorating the paper bag, but Jeonghan tries to ignore how the entirety of his apartment is now covered in a gold glow. 

Inside the sparkling paper bag, there’s a pastry that Jeonghan had baked himself the night before, after taking both Joshua and Jun’s advice to heart. He still  _ wishes _ he could get the young man something more, something bigger and more impressive, but he can at least with certainty say that he put all the warm and flutterly feelings he feels for Jihoon into the small cake. He hopes Jihoon likes blueberry and raspberry, as it’s the main ingredients for the purple frosting that rests upon the chocolate cake.

Along with the cake, that’s currently resting in a cake box, there’s an ice tea (peach flavor; he hopes Jihoon likes that flavor too). a single red rose, as well as a small piece of paper. The small white paper is the main reason for the anxiety Jeonghan feels - sure, he  _ does _ feel a small bit of worry when he thinks about if Jihoon will enjoy the cake or not too - but nothing comes close to the worry that spreads through him as he thinks about Jihoon’s reaction to the information written on the paper.

In Jeonghan’s best cursive writing (which, admittedly, isn’t very good) he had wrote: 

“ _I would love to treat you to dinner, as your birthday gift. So, text me, maybe?_ ” followed by his number.

He had scrapped so many versions of the message, the bad ones being crushed into a ball and thrown at the trash bin ( _he had missed 7 out of 12 shoots into the bin; which was his worst record yet. He blames it on nerves_ ).

“For you,” Jeonghan says, after clearing his throat. They had just spent a few seconds in silence; Jeonghan staring onto Jihoon with wide eyes and Jihoon staring at the paper bag with eyes, just as wide. People were starting to get in line behind Jihoon, waiting for their coffee or tea, and despite him wanting to talk with Jihoon for the entire day, he knew he had to serve the other customers as well. “I hope you like it.”

“I do. I love it.” Jihoon exclaims, and Jeonghan can’t help but laugh. A laugh that’s blooming from the depths of his stomach, playing among the butterflies that seems to have made it into a habit to appear whenever Jihoon is near.

“You don’t even know what’s in it yet,” Jeonghan laughs, earning him a small, shy smile from Jihoon.

“Don’t need to, I already know I’ll love it,” Jihoon claims, and Jeonghan’s head is spinning. The words  _ I’m in love with you  _ so close to spilling out of his lips, but he manages to stop them in time. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Jeonghan assures, as he watches Jihoon grab the bag down from the counter. It’s kind of obnoxious, the glitter flashing against the light of the café, but Jihoon doesn’t seem to mind at all. “I’ll see you later?”

“Absolutely,” Jihoon promises, before he sends him a smile and walks out of the door.

 

 

It may not be morally correct, but Yoon Jeonghan has some customers that he likes more than others.

And although Vernon, Mingyu and Jun are high on that list, no one of them tops Jihoon,

And although it might not be correct, Jeonghan can’t find himself to care, when he finds a message from Jihoon on his phone when he gets off his shift. A message that makes the butterflies in his stomach duplicate and his grin so wide that Seungcheol next to him looks at him with a worried look.

**Sent by: Unknown number**

“ _ About time you’d ask /Jihoon." _

**Author's Note:**

> \- WHEW, I ALMOST MISSED POSTING THIS! but here it is!! it was edited quickly, so there might be a lot of grammar/spelling errors in which, i'm sorry! i'm so busy lately and i realized too late that i didn't edit it when i promised myself i would. whoops? but it's up now anyway hahahaah
> 
> i love coffee shop aus!! i know they're cliché, but damn, i just can't get enough. give me all the coffee shop aus gdi!!  
> anyway!! i love jeonghoon! and i hope you enjoyed this. it was really fun to write. i definitely want to explore this au more in the future, but for now this will have to do. i'm working on a few other jeonghoon fics right now, so more coffee shop aus will have to wait... 
> 
> you can hit me up on twitter! i'm @jeonghooons and i'm always up for talking about jeonghoon and svt and a lot of other things too!!
> 
> as always, take care of yourself and stay warm now in the cold winter! unless you're in australia where it's summer, in that case, stay hydrated! until next time!


End file.
